Axel: Difference between revisions

Upon purposely throwing his battle against Sora, Axel admits to using the battle as a test of the Keyblade wielder's strength. Axel gives up a card created from Sora's memories, which allows Sora to progress further in the castle, After leaving a bewildered Sora, Axel confronts Larxene, professing an interest in preserving Sora's self-consciousness even after he became a [[Heartless]].

After Vexen's first battle with Sora, Marluxia orders Axel to dispose of Vexen, both to test Axel's willingness to eliminate another Organization member, and to stop Vexen from interfering with Marluxia's plan. Axel finishes off a battle-worn Vexen, who had just engaged Sora in combat, and is accepted into Marluxia and Larxene's conspiracy. Taking advantage of Marluxia and Larxene's trust, Axel allows Naminé to escape and contact Sora. Citing his previous order to rid the Organization of traitors, Axel later confronts Marluxia, who now realizes Axel's continued loyalty to the Organization. During their battle, Marluxia attempts to use Naminé as a shield. Axel is undeterred, but before he is able to strike, Sora appears behind him, and is angered to learn that Axel would be willing to harm Naminé. A fierce fight ensues between Axel and Sora, and Sora emerges victorious. Conceding defeat, Axel leaves Sora with the words, "It was worth saving you after all," and vanishes.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories}}

After his battle with Sora, Axel meets Zexion in the castle basement. Zexion brings up the subject of Riku, and requests data on [[Destiny Islands]] in the form of a card. After Zexion is defeated by Riku, he retreats and meets with Axel. Despite their previous collaboration, Axel says that Zexion had "just found out way too much". Axel persuades the [[Riku Replica]] to absorb Zexion, promising the duplicate that he would gain newfound powers, including the strength needed to defeat the real Riku.{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories}}

With the five members of the Organization finished off, Axel proceeds to carry out his orders to find the [[Chamber of Waking]] and retrieve Naminé, but fails to find the chamber and allows Naminé to escape, deeming her unnecessary. When Axel finally returns to [[the World That Never Was]], he feels as if Roxas had replaced him with Xion, with whom Roxas now eats ice cream in Twilight Town in the same way Roxas and Axel had prior to Castle Oblivion. At Roxas's suggestion, the three begin to spend time together as a trio. Some time later, Saïx confronts Axel. Axel reveals that he regrets not being able to talk with Saïx as he could with Roxas and Xion. Saïx alludes to friendship he and Axel had shared before becoming Nobodies, and reminds him of their plans to take over Organization XIII.

After discovering her identity, Xion develops a desire to leave the Organization. While on a mission, Axel discovers Xion has sneaked into Castle Oblivion. He encourages her to leave and to stop remembering her former memories, or rather, Sora's memories. Despite Axel's warning, Xion goes further into the castle. Xion eventually escapes the Organization, but is attacked and captured by Axel, under Saïx's orders, in Twilight Town weeks later, before Roxas's eyes. Despite Roxas's protests, Axel claims that his use of force had been necessary. No longer on speaking terms with Roxas, Axel becomes torn between his two friends, trying to decide which one to save from Xemnas's plan.

A few weeks later, Axel rescues Xion and Roxas from being manipulated into killing each other at Halloween Town, causing all three of them to become distrustful of the Organization and Saïx. While on a mission in Wonderland, Xion attacks [[Xigbar]] and knocks him unconscious, and Axel makes no attempt to stop her. She removes her hood, shocking Axel, and asks Axel to let her go, which he agrees to, and she retreats through a Corridor of Darkness. A few days later, Roxas, having learned Xion's identity and that Axel had hidden it from him, leaves the Organization in anger. Axel, who had enjoyed the time he had spent with his best friend, is distraught, but is unable to stop Roxas from deserting.

The next day, under orders, Axel tracks Xion down to the Old Mansion in Twilight Town. Having learned Xion's intentions, and fed up with her and Roxas's selfishness, Axel battles Xion and knocks her unconscious. Axel, after managing to bring Xion back to the [[Castle That Never Was]], faints from fatigue, and Xemnas takes the unconscious Xion from him. Later, in his quarters, after learning the aftermath of Roxas and Xion's fight, a depressed Axel discovers a popsicle stick labelled "WINNER", a gift left by Roxas. After Xion's defeat at Roxas's hands, Axel's memories of her eventually disappear.

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===''Kingdom Hearts II''===

{{q|I wanted to see Roxas. He...was the only one I liked...he made me feel...like I had a heart. It's kind of...funny. You make me feel...the same....|Axel referring to how Sora reminded him of Roxas}}

Shortly after Roxas's escape from The World That Never Was, Riku captures Roxas and places him in [[Ansem the Wise|DiZ]]'s [[Simulated Twilight Town]]. There, Roxas's memory is wiped and replaced with artificial ones, leading Roxas to believe that he is a normal teenager on summer vacation. Axel is ordered to retrieve Roxas, but only agrees after threats from Xaldin and Xemnas. He enters the simulated town to confront Roxas; however, his first effort to retrieve Roxas fails when DiZ appears and restarts the Twilight Town program, temporarily removing Axel from the simulation. Roxas is dumbfounded by Axel's appearance, as he lacks any memories of the Organization member.

Axel again tries to recover Roxas without destroying him, while keeping in mind the Organization's order to either eliminate Roxas or be destroyed himself. Roxas, who has since learned from Naminé that the two had been best friends, mentions this to Axel, who calls Roxas's bluff when he is unable to remember Xemnas's name. DiZ again intervenes, and Roxas escapes to the Old Mansion in Twilight Town. The two meet again in the mansion's computer room basement. Despite Roxas's having regained his memories, Axel,  who is hurt emotionally from his previous encounters, fights Roxas, who now wields dual Keyblades. Axel loses the fight and disappears, obliging not to finish his mission.  

While Sora reawakens with Roxas inside him, Riku asks Axel to protect Naminé. Later, at Sunset Hill, Axel calls it a day before Riku motions for them to leave. Naminé's words, about those who are dear to them despite being Nobodies, strangely move him. As Riku thanks them both, he opens a Corridor of Darkness, allowing the three to make their exit.

During Sora's travels through the different worlds, Axel appears before [[Kairi]] on a beach in Destiny Islands, intending to kidnap her. Axel's plan is simple: if Sora were to become a Heartless again, then Roxas would be reborn. However, Kairi escapes through a [[Corridor of Darkness]] created by Riku, and lands in Twilight Town where she waits for Sora. Axel, however, follows her to the town and steals her away again. Not long afterward, she is taken captive by Saïx, who is under orders to "give him something to be pitiful about". After the invasion of [[Radiant Garden]] by the Heartless, Sora confronts Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, who disappears after a brief exchange. Axel appears before Sora right after Xemnas exits, and explains the Keyblade's ability to release the captive hearts that compose Heartless. However, Axel refuses to say what Organization XIII would do with those hearts. Sora realizes that Axel is Kairi's captor, which Axel confirms. Though initially unrepentant for his actions, he soon apologizes for kidnapping Kairi, but makes a hasty exit when Saïx appears.

On the way to The World That Never Was, Sora, [[Donald Duck|Donald]], [[Goofy]], and [[King Mickey]] are trapped in [[Betwixt and Between]] and attacked by Nobodies, but Axel arrives to help Sora battle the Nobodies. Realizing the [[Dusk]]s' overwhelming numbers, Axel puts his entire being and essence into one, powerful attack, which destroys the Nobodies at the expense of his life.

As he fades away, Axel explains his motives: he had wanted to save Sora, Roxas's original self, who stays with him in his last moments. He sincerely apologizes to Sora for involving Kairi in Organization XIII's plans. Axel confesses that he had wanted to see Roxas, the only one who had made him feel like he had a heart. Axel remarks that Sora makes him feel the same way. In his final moments, Axel urges Sora to proceed and rescue Kairi, then opens a passageway to the World That Never Was before disappearing into darkness.

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Axel makes one final appearance before Roxas, immediately after Roxas's mental battle with Sora. The two discuss their fate, reminisce about the good times they had shared with each other. Axel gives a final farewell to his best friend, as his body and soul reunite with his heart at Radiant Garden, reviving Lea.

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